The present invention relates to facilities used for housing patients who are violent to others or to themselves, and more particularly to a modular seclusion room for confining such patients.
The treatment of violent or self-abusive individuals has generally taken the form of one or a combination of three different modalities. First, drugs have been used to calm individuals in a violent state. However, this form of treatment often has a number of deleterious side effects, including addiction. The second principal form of dealing with the violent patient is through physical restraint. This type of treatment is often used with drug therapy and can often inhibit the recovery process, where some freedom of movement is desirable.
The third method is by placing the individual in an enclosed space or room that has been padded in some way to prevent self-inflicted injuries. This form of confinement isolates the individual thereby preventing injuries to health-care personnel or other patients.
Confinement has often taken the form of simply placing padded mattresses on the walls and floor of an existing room, or using an enclosure designed for non-violent patients. These methods typically do not have the durability or the safety features necessary.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,904 discloses a patient enclosure used in the treatment of severely brain damaged patients. The enclosure is padded and placed within an existing room. Both inner and outer rooms are environmentally pleasant to enhance the recovery of the brain damaged patient. The inner enclosure is at the shoulder height of the patient so that he or she easily perceives the surrounding environment. This type of structure is not suitable for the violent patient where the principal concerns are safe confinement and isolation.